How to Add Fonts to Paint 3D

That is how to add fonts to Paint 3D on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. The steps below take about a minute.

Where your fonts show up

Click the Text tab and open the font list at the top of the right panel. Every font in that list is a font Windows already has.

This is why the list is different from one PC to the next. Other programs can add fonts too. On our test PC, fonts that came with office software sit in the list next to the ones Windows ships with.

Step 1: Get the font file

Download the font you want. Fonts come as .ttf (TrueType) or .otf (OpenType) files, and Windows installs both. Many fonts arrive inside a .zip folder.

Only download fonts from a source you trust. A font file installs into Windows itself, so treat it like any other download. Check the font's license too, especially if you plan to use your picture in anything you sell.

Step 2: Unzip it

If the font came in a .zip folder, right-click the folder and choose Extract All. Open the new folder that appears. You should see one or more font files inside.

Step 3: Install it in Windows

Right-click the font file and choose Install. If Windows asks whether to allow changes to your computer, choose Yes, as long as you trust where the font came from.

There are two other ways, if you prefer:

• Open Windows Settings, go to Personalization, then Fonts, and drag the font file onto that page.
• Drag the font file into the C:\Windows\Fonts folder.

All three do the same thing. Use whichever feels easiest.

Step 4: Pick the font in Paint 3D

Close the app completely, then open it again. Apps only see new fonts the next time they start, so this step matters.

Now click the Text tab, choose 2D text or 3D text, and open the font list. Scroll to find your new font.

Pick the font before you start typing. You can also set the size, color, Bold, Italic and Underline from the same panel.

If the font does not show up

The app was still open. Check this first. Close it fully, then open it again. A font you install while the app is running will not appear until it restarts.

The font was not really installed. Opening a font file only shows a preview. You need to click Install in that preview window, or right-click the file and choose Install.

It was installed for your account only. Right-click the font file and choose Install for all users. You need administrator rights on the PC to do this.

The file is a web font. Files ending in .woff or .woff2 are made for websites. Look for a .ttf or .otf file in the download instead, which are the usual font files for Windows.

The font is still in the zip. Windows cannot install a font from inside a .zip folder. Extract it first, as in Step 2.

Tips for choosing fonts

• Plain fonts read better small. Decorative fonts look great in big titles but blur together at small sizes.
• Test before you commit. 2D text becomes part of the picture once you press Shift + Enter. Try the font, check it, then commit.
• Mind the license. Free to download does not always mean free to use in commercial work.

If you want your text to bend or arch, the app cannot do that on its own. Our guide on how to curve text in Paint 3D shows the workarounds. For every other tool in the app, see our Paint 3D guides.

FAQ

Spotted something that does not match your screen? Email [email protected].